The objective of the proposed research is to investigate and to understand the transducer mechanisms in the auditory receptors of the inner ear. The method is to record intracellular potentials from single hair cells and to relate these potentials to measurements of the motion of the basilar membrane and of the activity of single units in the auditory nerve. The work is being done in a laboratory that has as its overall objective the systematic investigation of the structure and function of the mammalian auditory system and the application of basic research to the diagnosis and treatment of hearing disorders.